Knife-sharpener



S. H. GALLAGHER.

KNIFE SHARPENER.

APPLICATION HL'ED SEPT.16. 1919.

INVENTOR.

Stephen b. Gal/ay/Mr.

A TTORNE Y.

UNITED STATES,

STEPHEN H. GALLAGHER, or SYRACUSE, vnw yonxj KNIFE-SHARPENER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, STEPHEN H.- GALLA- GHER, a citizen of the United States, resid ing at Syracuse, in the county of .Onondaga and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Knife-Sharpeners, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in knife Sharpeners, designed particularly for use by butchers, butlers and the like, forsharpening carving and other knives The invention consists of cutting a number of corresponding longitudinal grooves in the blades of the common butchers steels, and then filling the said grooves with an abrasive element, over which knives and like instruments may be drawn frictionally during the whetting operations, for effecting drawing, in which Figure 1 is a side view of the complete device; showing the location and arrangement on one of the inlaid abrasives. I

Fig. 2 is an edge view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section, taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a similar sectional view; showing a slight modification of the device.

Fig. 5 illustrates still another modification.

In the drawing, 2 is the blade of the sharpener, which is preferably made of steel, similar to the well-known butchers and meat-cutters steels, and having at one end a tine 3, which may be driven tightly into a handle 4:. 5 is a guard or hilt which is disposed between the handle and the blade 2, to prevent injury to the hand that holds the device during the sharpening operations. The blade 2 is preferably tapering from the guard toward its free end, as shown, for

. 1 Specification of Letters Patent. Pgetgnggd Sept, 14 lief/K},

Application filed September 16, 1919. Serial No. 324,062.. 7

giving greater strength, as well-as for in creasing .the whetting surface.

My improvement consists of providing two or more corresponding longitudinal surface grooves or recesses, as 6, preferably sunk in the opposite sides of the blade 2, and then filling the said grooves with any suitable abrasive 7, such as alundum, carborunduin, emery and the like. The abrasive is first made up in plastic state and then applied to the grooves until the latter are entirely filled. The abrasive is preferably mixed with a suitable water-proof cement which causes it to adhere to the walls of the grooves and renders it impervious to water, and when the abrasive becomes dry and hard, it is ready for use. The grooves 6 are preferably made deep enough to hold sufficient amount of the abrasive to last through the lifetime of the steel. By constructing the grooves 6 substantiallysemicircular in cross-section, the margins of the abrasive are protected by the steel against injury due to rough handling, and furthermore the abrasive is not liable to be broken or displaced.

In practice, the opera-tor holds the steel by one hand in such manner that when a knife alternately brought into contact with the opposite sides of the blade 2, the cutting edge of the knife makes a fair frictional engagement with the abrasive '7. The abrasive naturally wears the metal of the knife away more rapidly than the steel, and accordingly leaves the cutting edge of the knife somewhat ragged; The abrasive 7 is so positioned, however, that during the endin of each stroke of the knife across the blade 2, the knife is only in contact with the steel, which reduces the rou hness and raggedness and leaves the edge or the knife .either direction, so as tobring the knife into fair contact with the plain steel.

Fig. 5 illustrates still another inodifisation, in which the blade 2 is provided. with curved grooves 6 on its opposite flattened sides, 111 which the abrasive'material 7 is dlsposed, and the latter 1s preferably ar- ,ranged so that its exposed surfaces have the same crown or curvature as the body of the blade. By this construction and arrange 'ment, the corresponding top and bottom abrasives are brought nearer to the lateral edges of the blade, and by providing two grooves 6 on each side of the blade, it is more serviceable for handed operators. T

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new anddesireto secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A knife sharpener, comprising anelongated steel blade having a plurality of longitudinal grooves, and an abrasive 1nlaid in said grooves adapted to be frictionally engaged by a knife When the latter is drawn across said grooves.

2. A knife sharpener comprising a tapering oval blade having a tine at one end, and having in its opposite sides similar 3 tapering longitudinal grooves, a plastic both right and left abrasive filling and adhering to said grooves,and a handle supported by said terial disposed in and filling said grooves, the said material at its exposed surfaces be ing substantially flush With the metal at all of its margins, whereby the cutting edge of a knife is first roughly abraded by contact With said material, and finally rendered smooth and keen by its subsequent contact avith the metal of the blade adjacent said margins.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

STEPHEN H. GALLAGHER. 

